The Government of Tanzania has expressed commitment to using the findings of the 2024 National Survey on Violence Against Children and Youth to inform strategies, plans, and programs aimed at combating violence in the country.
Minister of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Dr. Dorothy Gwajima, announced the results of the survey on June 9, 2025, in Dar es Salaam, revealing a significant decline in violence against children and youth compared to the previous survey conducted in 2009.
“The findings of this survey show a reduction in violence against girls, where sexual violence has decreased from 33 percent to 11 percent, physical violence from 76 percent to 24 percent, and emotional violence from 25 percent to 22 percent,” said Dr. Gwajima.
She further explained that the decline is also evident among boys, with sexual violence dropping from 21 percent to 5 percent, physical violence from 74 percent to 21 percent, and emotional violence from 31 percent to 16 percent.
“This is the second national survey conducted after 15 years since the first one in 2009. The results indicate a significant decline in violence compared to the 2009 survey,” said Dr. Gwajima.
She emphasized that the government, through her ministry, will conduct evaluations, review and improve existing policies and laws, and strengthen multi-sectoral programs aimed at preventing and combating violence against all groups.
“We will analyze the interventions outlined in the second National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children (NPA-VAWC II), comparing them with the findings of this latest survey. This will help in increasing the budget and human resources to prevent violence and enhance services for survivors,” she added.
Dr. Gwajima also underlined that the survey findings will enable the government and stakeholders to improve and develop plans, programs, and strategies to eliminate violence in the country, enhancing the protection and safety of children and youth for the benefit of current and future generations.
She reiterated the serious nature of violence against children and youth, describing it as a violation of human rights that also poses major public health challenges and can have life-altering consequences for victims.
“Violence leads to long-term health consequences including mental health issues, suicidal thoughts, risky sexual behavior, increased vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, and substance abuse. It also reduces developmental opportunities and contributes to poverty in society,” Dr. Gwajima noted.
The Government Statistician General from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Dr. Amina Msengwa, confirmed that the survey was conducted nationally across all 31 regions of the United Republic of Tanzania, using a nationally representative sample.
“These statistics are of high quality and are suitable for informing strategies, plans, and evaluations to protect children and youth from violence,” said Dr. Msengwa.
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